Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - August 2007 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Copyright 2006 Victoria Advocate Online (http://victoriaadvocate.com) unless otherwise notated. ************************************************ From caller.com August 2, 2007 Kenedy gets new Wal-Mart Supercenter KENEDY - Kenedy, the self-proclaimed flax capital of Texas, is getting a Wal-Mart Supercenter on Wednesday. Kenedy, known for its abundance of the plant that produces a textile fiber, will close the doors to its current Wal-Mart location at 337 N. Sunset Strip that opened in 1983. The new 99,611-square-foot supercenter at 200 Business Park Drive will employ about 250 people. Wal-Mart officials said an additional 175 jobs were created by the relocation. What: Grand opening of 99,611 square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter in Kenedy When: 8 a.m. Wednesday. Where: 200 Business Park Drive, Kenedy (about 90 miles north of Corpus Christi) Store features: Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, full line of electronics, one-hour photo lab and pharmacy. Store open 24 hours, seven days a week. 12 full-service and two express check-out lanes. ************************************************ From walmartfacts.com Kenedy Wal-Mart Supercenter Provides Hometown Convenience Newly relocated store adds groceries, merchandise, services and jobs WHAT: For the past several months, many residents from Karnes County and surrounding communities have regularly made the 30-mile trek to the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Beeville, enjoying its discount groceries and wide selection of merchandise while counting the days until their own local Supercenter opens. That wait ends Aug. 8, when their hometown store becomes a Supercenter, complete with a full line of groceries, expanded merchandise and convenience services. The store will open to customers at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 8, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. As part of its grand opening festivities, the newly relocated store will announce $18,600 in donations to seven local organizations. The store will now offer local residents a full line of groceries, as well as a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections. Customers will enjoy the store's expanded selection of merchandise in all departments, including apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, home, fine jewelry and health and beauty. Shoppers will now have access to a one-hour photo lab, a pharmacy and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for cellular telephones and accessories. The new Supercenter is now located at 200 Business Park Drive in a new shopping area off North Sunset Strip Street north of the Karnes County Airport. At 99,611 square feet, the new store is more than twice the size of the original store. It will provide area residents with a one-stop shopping destination 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Supercenter plans to employ approximately 250 associates, including 175 new jobs created by the relocation. Store Manager Nelda Jones started working at Wal-Mart as a cashier in Beeville in 1982. She is one of 13 associates who have worked for the retailer for more than 20 years. Five of the long-time associates have worked at the Kenedy store since it originally opened in 1983. WHEN: Two Event Opportunities -- Preview Night: Saturday, Aug. 4, 6 p.m. Preview tours will be provided at this invitation-only open house for community leaders, Wal-Mart associates and their families. More than $18,600 in grants will be presented to representatives of seven community organizations. (For a list of grant recipients, please see page 2). Reporters and photographers are welcome. Grand Opening: Wednesday, Aug. 8, 7:30 a.m. Community leaders from Kenedy, Karnes City, Falls City and Runge will join Store Manager Nelda Jones for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The celebration continues throughout the day with character appearances, product samples and giveaways. The public is invited to attend. WHERE: Wal-Mart Supercenter 200 Business Park Dr., Kenedy, Texas FOR MORE INFO: Store Manager: Nelda Jones, 830-583-9825 FACT SHEET Kenedy Wal-Mart Supercenter Store fast facts • Location: 200 Business Park Dr., Kenedy, Texas • Originally opened in 1983 at 337 N. Sunset • 99,611-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, gaining an additional 54,859 square feet • Store opening 8 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 8; 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony • Store manager: Nelda Jones Store features • Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, full line of electronics, one-hour photo lab, pharmacy, and Wal-Mart Connect Center. • As a leader in environmental sustainability, Wal-Mart's store interior incorporates an environmentally friendly design using skylights, concrete flooring and energy saving lighting, while promoting sustainable product purchases, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs. • Store is open 24 hours, seven days a week • Twelve full-service and two express check-out lanes Charitable giving $18,600 in charitable contributions to seven area organizations: • Beeville High School Band • City of Falls City Fire Department • City of Karnes City Parks Department • City of Runge Fire Department • Falls City High School • Karnes County Economic and Community Development Corporation • Rotary International Employment • The store plans to employ approximately 250 associates upon its opening, including 175 new jobs created by the relocation. • Thirty associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years. Another 13 associates have worked for the retailer for more than 20 years. • Five associates have worked at the Kenedy store since it originally opened in 1983. • Store Manager Nelda Jones began her career with Wal-Mart as an hourly associate, working as a cashier at the Beeville store. • The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.51 per hour.* • Wal-Mart benefits - available to eligible full- and part-time associates - include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance. *Average wage taken December 2006. See www.walmartfacts.com for details. For more information • Store manager: Nelda Jones, 830-583-9825 ************************************************ From seguingazette.com August 10, 2007 Navarro aiming for playoff berth By Jason Chlapek The Gazette-Enterprise GERONIMO - The last thing you want to see happen when you have a playoff string going is see it break. That's what the Navarro volleyball team will try to do in 2007 as the Lady Panthers aim for their 14th consecutive postseason berth. Navarro has qualified for the playoffs the last 13 seasons - all under head coach Jackie Baker. Baker hopes her 14th season at the helm will be just as much a success as the previous 13. "We want to keep the [consecutive playoff berths] streak alive, that's our goal," Baker said. "You never want to be part of the group that ended the streak, you want the success to continue." Baker thinks the ingredients are there for a successful attempt by the Lady Panthers at qualifying for the postseason. "We have a good group of girls this season, who also happen to be hard workers," Baker said. "We're going to be a senior-laden team this year, which should help out experience-wise. This group also has a lot of team chemistry, and works really well together." The seven seniors on Navarro's roster are Haley Helweg, Rachele Herzog, Lauren Lees, Brittany Parker, Cynthia Ramon, Hannah Reiley and Amanda Zavesky. Of the seven, Helweg and Ramon are returning starters. Other key additions to the Lady Panthers include Hannah Bonds, Sydawnie Douglas, Noelle Kubenka and Stephanie Moeller. Moeller's older sister, Mallory, was a four-year letterman in both volleyball and basketball at Navarro, and is playing basketball at St. Mary's University this year. Ramon returns at libero, while Helweg will continue to play outside hitter. Parker takes over at setter for the departed Kandi Knippa, while Douglas and Reiley will split time at middle blocker and Herzog will play in the backrow. "It's pretty exciting to be part of a group like this," Parker said. "I'm also excited about getting to start at setter. I learned a lot from Kandi [Knippa] over the last few years by watching her. She also taught me a lot, like how to take charge and distribute the ball." Although Parker did not move to Navarro until her freshman year, most of the other seniors on the team have played together since the seventh grade, and have been molded into Baker's system. In addition to making the playoffs again, Parker said another goal of hers as well as her teammates is to beat defending Class 2A state champion Poth. Poth swept the season series from Navarro in 2006, and ended the Lady Panthers streak of 12 straight district championships. "We cannot afford to slack off against Poth," Parker said. "We have to take them seriously, and we have to play our game, not theirs." Parker also said her and her teammates fared well against Poth during summer volleyball action. Other teams in District 29-2A include Karnes City, Kenedy, Nixon- Smiley, Randolph, Stockdale and Yorktown. While Parker will be the one calling the shots and setting up plays on the court, Ramon will provide good backup. "I'm the last line of defense for the team, and the offense starts with me," Ramon said in reference to her libero position. Ramon is only in her third year of playing libero since the UIL installed it prior to the 2005 season. A libero is a player who wears the opposite-color jersey as her teammates. For example, if Ramon's teammates are wearing purple jerseys, Ramon will wear a white jersey. A libero also is allowed an unlimited amount of substitutions and is used primarily for defensive purposes such as digs. A libero also cannot hit the ball overhand. Ramon said she enjoys the position. "It's a lot of fun [playing libero]," she said. "I like helping the team in anyway I can, including diving to the floor to record digs." According to Baker, the Lady Panthers will likely have to be more prone to diving to the floor as they don't have the size they did last season. "We have to be a little more scrappy this year," Baker said. "We also have to be good at reading the other team's hitters. We're not as big as we were last year, but we're quicker, and because of that, our defense should be stronger. I really like our quickness." Baker also said her team needs to work on timing and transition as well as communication. Ramon thinks her team has a chance to do as well as it did last season. "If we push ourselves to the limit, we can go a long way," she said. ************************************************ From freerepublic.com 08/11/2007 Fatal Del Rio jail illness baffles authorities [foreign nationals involved] by SwinneySwitch A mysterious illness at a Del Rio detention center that has killed two inmates and hospitalized two others within the past month has baffled health authorities, who have asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help. All four men - three of them foreign nationals from Honduras and Mexico held on immigration charges, the fourth a Val Verde county prisoner who was one of the dead - were described as in their 20s and 30s, and apparently healthy when they arrived at the Val Verde Correctional Facility and County Jail. The privately operated 850-bed medium-security facility is under contract to house federal detainees for the U.S. Marshal's Service and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as local prisoners. One of the ill inmates was brought to an unidentified San Antonio hospital; the other remains hospitalized in Del Rio. Their conditions have not been released. "It's still a big mystery to us," said Dr. Sandra Guerra-Cantu, regional medical director of the Texas Department of State Health Services, who is heading the investigation. "I can't tell you that we've figured it out. But we're in the process of requesting assistance from CDC and others to come and help us." The first inmate became ill in mid- to late July, she said. In each case, symptoms began with erratic behavioral changes, followed by incontinence and dehydration. A host of tests for medical conditions and toxic exposures failed to identify a culprit. And no autopsy has yet been performed on either of the men who died. "As far as we know, these individuals did not have any contact with one another," said Guerra-Cantu, adding that health officials have not yet recommended any change in operations at the jail except to closely monitor prisoners for similar symptoms. She said local officials contacted them late last week after the sheriff and local doctors became concerned. "We have had two sets of teams from the Texas Department of State Health Services visit the facility to interview the medical staff, review the medical records, look at all the laboratory results, as well as request consults from various experts in different fields of health care, to get their ideas about what's going on." The facility is operated under contract by the Geo Group Inc., a Boca Raton, Fla., company that also runs correctional facilities in San Antonio, Pearsall and Karnes City, and has a regional administrative office in New Braunfels. The company is cooperating with the investigation, Guerra-Cantu said. "It would be irresponsible for ICE to speculate on this particular matter, but it is something we definitely will be looking into immediately," said Nina Pruneda, a spokeswoman for the federal agency that detained the three foreign nationals, adding she had no information about them late Thursday. Sheriff D'Wayne Jernigan's office referred all questions to state health officials. According to the Geo Group's Web site, the facility is undergoing an expansion that will increase its capacity to more than 1,400 beds. In March, Val Verde County and the Geo Group settled a lawsuit with the family of LeTisha Tapia, a 23-year-old federal inmate found hanged in her cell after reporting she'd been sexually assaulted in 2004. Last week, the Associated Press reported that under the terms of that settlement, the county had hired an independent monitor for the prison. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/10/2007 Battle brews over use of salty water Jerry Needham Express-News Everywhere the San Antonio Water System turns to look for new freshwater resources, it's rebuffed by locals insisting there's not enough to share. So when state and local water planners steered them to untapped salty groundwater, utility officials thought they'd found an uncontroversial source. But they're learning differently. When an exploratory drilling rig went up in Atascosa County in May, so did the ire of residents in the rural county south of San Antonio. Dozens of residents are expected to pack an Atascosa County Commissioners Court meeting Monday where commissioners may consider a resolution addressing the growing controversy in the county of 40,000 people. Studies by regional water planners determined the county has enough freshwater resources to meet projected needs beyond 2060 without tapping into brackish water. But that doesn't matter to county residents such as Arthur Troell, a geologist and professor at San Antonio College. "I think we should keep it for ourselves," he said. "Its value is going to go up. Why should San Antonio move in and rob us of our resources?" SAWS officials say the proposed project, which hasn't yet settled on Atascosa County for pumping, would take only a small amount of the region's massive store of deep salty water and have no impact on the overlying freshwater resources. "The trick is to get the time and get past the emotions so that we can explain the science very proudly," Calvin Finch, SAWS director of water resources, told the board's water resources committee on July 30. But most Atascosa County residents, Troell said, feel there was something sneaky going on because they didn't learn about the project until they saw the drilling rig. Then they learned that the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District had signed an agreement with SAWS more than a year earlier with special terms for developing brackish groundwater, terms many feel are unfavorable for the county. But Mike Mahoney, general manager of the Evergreen district, which regulates groundwater withdrawals in Atascosa, Frio, Karnes and Wilson counties, said any water that SAWS takes would be governed by permits still to be issued. "They would have to apply for production permits," Mahoney said. "They would have to have water rights to support those production permits and then based upon the tests that are done, that would determine whether they would get those permits and how much they would get." SAWS contractors have zeroed in on four sites in the Wilcox Aquifer for their brackish water potential - two in Bexar County, one in Wilson County and one in Atascosa County. The most promising, after testing the Bexar sites showed less-than- ideal results, appears to be the Atascosa site with its thick water- bearing sands, officials said. They won't be ready to issue design/build contracts for a desalination plant in South Bexar County until early next year with construction to start a year later and opening in July 2011. The plant would produce 20 million gallons a day. During last year's drought, the utility's usage averaged about 178 million gallons a day. Treating salty water is more expensive than drawing from Edwards supplies, so SAWS President David Chardavoyne said Friday the facility would be used for drought needs. "You can essentially break the back of Stage II and Stage III Edwards restrictions by turning on a facility like this," he said. The Texas Water Development Board estimates there are 135 trillion gallons of brackish groundwater in the 21-county planning region around San Antonio, with 388 billion gallons of it reasonably retrievable. Charles Kreitler, a SAWS consultant and hydrogeologist with LBG- Guyton Associates, told the board's water resources committee that the brackish water in the lower part of the Wilcox formation is separated from the freshwater of the Carrizo Aquifer by deposits of muddy shale that are 250 feet to 500 feet thick. All-out pump tests of the brackish water for 48 hours at the two Bexar County sites showed no impact on the freshwater zone, Kreitler said, adding that such tests soon will be conducted at the Atascosa site. But many in Atascosa County feel SAWS shouldn't be taking their water despite any scientific evidence. "We in Atascosa County see it as a pearl that hasn't been polished," Atascosa County resident Rebecca Treviño says of the brackish groundwater. "SAWS is powerful and we are weak," she told regional water planners in their quarterly meeting last week. "We're afraid we're going to have earthquakes if they draw, draw, draw with nothing to stop them," she said, adding that earth tremors are not unheard of in the county. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/13/2007 Atascosa blasts water export plan Jerry Needham Express-News JOURDANTON - Responding to citizen outcries about a "predator in our midst," the Atascosa County Commissioners Court passed a resolution Monday asking the local groundwater district not to issue permits to export water from the county. The five-member Commissioners Court unanimously approved the resolution offered by County Judge Diana Bautista after eight residents spoke against a potential plan by the San Antonio Water System to take brackish water from the Wilcox Aquifer, clean it up and send it to San Antonio as drinking water. There was standing room only at the normally placid commissioners' regular monthly meeting, where about 60 residents broke into applause upon passage of the resolution. Several wore buttons that said "Keep SAWS Out." "There is a predator in our midst," resident Hector Moreno told commissioners before the vote. "That predator is SAWS." Residents are upset that officials with the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District, which regulates groundwater withdrawals in Atascosa, Frio, Karnes and Wilson counties, signed a cooperative agreement with SAWS in March 2006 that resulted in the district's adoption of lenient rules for the development of brackish water. Most didn't learn of the agreement until an exploratory drilling rig went up this past May. Officials with the Evergreen say SAWS won't be able to produce or export water without district-issued permits after showing that the water is there and that its use isn't likely to have effects in the overlying freshwater aquifer. But that doesn't allay fears here that the big-city boys are out to take advantage of their country brethren. "We've been accused of being emotional," Rebecca Treviño told commissioners. "We should be emotional about somebody taking our natural resources." SAWS officials plan to build a desalination plant in South Bexar County that would treat 20 million gallons a day to replace water lost when restrictions are placed on the use of the Edwards Aquifer during drought. They say they're still exploring for the best spot to get salty water, focusing on two sites in South Bexar and one in northern Atascosa County. A contract for design of the plant won't be issued until early next year, with construction scheduled to start a year later. Although the deeper brackish water is unused at this time, the judge's resolution noted that the county will continue to grow and "will need all available water sources from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer to be utilized within this county." SAWS consultants say that taking small amounts from the huge store of slightly salty water in the Wilcox Aquifer shouldn't affect the freshwater resources in the overlying Carrizo Aquifer because they're separated by layers of muddy shale at least 250 feet thick. But Arthur Troell, a geologist who lives in Atascosa County, said it's not proven that the shale layer is continuous and won't allow water pressure exchanges between the two zones. "If SAWS gets permission to transport groundwater of any kind out of Atascosa County, its appetite will continue to grow and it will take even more water," Troell told commissioners. Bautista said it's OK if a landowner makes a voluntary deal to sell or lease his property or water rights to SAWS, but she said she was disturbed when she met Friday with a SAWS representative and learned about the utility's powers in regard to a pipeline route. "If they cannot work with the property owners, then they would go through the condemnation process," Bautista said she was told. The Evergreen meets next on Aug. 24. No agenda for that meeting has been posted. ************************************************ From kdhnews.com August 14, 2007 New KHS volleyball coach looking ahead, not behind By Kevin Posival Killeen Daily Herald Shelly Jones wants little to do with Killeen's volleyball seasons of the past. She's too busy reveling in the excitement building around and from this year's Lady Roos and their 2007 season beginning tonight in Belton at 7 p.m. "All I know is that they did not have a winning season," Jones said. And she doesn't plan on asking for more details from returning assistant coaches Linda Ortiz and Kacee Scanlin. "I don't want to have any pre-set notions of what these kids can and cannot do. It's a fresh start for all of us and I think that's how it should be. "I'm really enjoying how excited these girls are. They're willing to do what it takes to win. I'm a discipline coach. I don't put up with baloney. I've seen where kids can go with this if you respect your coach." Jones can see where kids can go within volleyball, because she's done it herself. As a player at Wink High School in West Texas, she went to the state tournament twice, walking away with a second- and a third-place plaque. From there, she played for both Sul Ross State University in Alpine and Texas Women's University in Denton before finally getting into coaching. It took Jones another couple years before she finally got to coach her favorite sport. After brief stints in Paint Rock and Menard coaching golf - a regional qualifier in that sport herself - cross country, basketball and track, she moved on to a girls coordinator position at Rung in 1999. She coached all the major girls sports and produced results, including a volleyball area finalist in 2000 and a district runner-up finish in 1999. From Runge she moved to Kenedy, where her volleyball team was again an area finalist and finished second in district to eventual state champion Poth in 2001. She's won district championships the last three years running - at Jarrell in 2004 and Moody in 2005 and 2006 - and is the first to say that she wants Killeen to understand how easy it is to get used to winning. "I don't accept mediocrity and I hate to lose," Jones said. "I hope that rubs off on my kids. "If you have to label this season, say it's 'under construction,' because I want to re-construct what people think about volleyball. It's not a girly sport; not when you have a ball coming directly at your face" Jones admits that she hasn't researched District 16-4A. She knows of Midway's reputation and state tournament last season and understands that Copperas Cove is a tough team, but not knowing the scouting reports on every team she plays is hardly on her mind. First, she's going to get through the pre-district season looking for the best combination of players to put on the field. "I want to get that team that meshes together," Jones said. "And build that bench support that's ready to step on the floor when I need them. "I like to build my team up. If my team plays the way I want them to play, we can play with any team. I'm not one of those coaches that changes strategy and gameplans, I want you to change your gameplan around us." Jones said she's never really had much experience with assistant coaches. Some, she said, didn't know a thing about volleyball and others couldn't coach. Ortiz, Scanlin and new junior varsity coach Melinda Williams have made Jones' transition into Killeen's 4A program seamless. "We had 60 girls come out on the first day," Jones said. "We have a wide-range of kids, too. We have some girls that don't know much about volleyball and we have some that have played in clubs. I was impressed with the number and the excitement. It's really good that I have help from my assistant coaches." The Lady Roos spend August traveling to games and tournaments and finally return to Killeen on Sept. 4 to show off what they've learned against Round Rock Stony Point at 7 p.m. Their district loop begins two weeks later on Sept. 18 in Copperas Cove. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/14/2007 Baseball: John "Ox" Miller (1915-2007) David King San Antonio Express-News Funeral services are scheduled for Friday in George West for former big-league pitcher John "Ox" Miller, who died Monday. A visitation is scheduled for 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Thursday at the Galloway Funeral Home in George West, and a graveside service is set for 9 a.m. at the George West Cemetery. Miller, who was born in the South Texas crossroads of Gause on May 4, 1915, played professionally from 1937-53 and pitched in a total of 24 big-league games from 1943-47 for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns and Chicago Cubs. He also played for the Missions in 1947, going 11-8 with a 3.61 ERA. He earned his nickname after pitching back-to-back doubleheaders and winning all four games for Lincoln (Neb.) in the Western League in 1939. "One newspaper said that I was as strong as an ox, and the rival evening paper responded by saying I was as dumb as an ox for pitching and winning those four games," Miller once said. Miller returned to South Texas after his professional career, working 34 years for the U.S. Postal Service. He retired in 1980. He managed semi-pro teams in Victoria, Sinton and Laredo, and for decades, he coached Babe Ruth League players in the Flax League, based in Kenedy. At one time, 21 of his former players were at either the college or professional level. Former big-league pitcher Jim Acker, University of the Incarnate Word pitching coach John Maley and Rodney Pedraza, who set the Japanese baseball record for saves by a non-Japanese player, were some of his protégés. "He never had any kids of his own, but he used to say that every one he coached was like one of his own," said Pedraza, who lives in Cuero. Al LaMacchia, who roomed with Miller in St. Louis and in Toledo, Ohio, said Miller had a lively sense of humor. "He would sneak out of bed in the morning, go down to the lobby and then call and wake me up," LaMacchia said. "He'd say 'Get up, we've got to go fix the fences in north pasture!' And he'd keep calling until I got up." Miller is survived by Opal Miller, his wife of 67 years. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/16/2007 Erin sweeps through the Houston area By Eric Berger and Kevin Moran Houston Chronicle Bands of rain from Tropical Storm Erin swept through the Houston area early today as the system came ashore north of Corpus Christi, becoming the first named system to make landfall in Texas since 2003. Erin, which churned through the Gulf of Mexico with winds of 40 mph Wednesday night, poses primarily a flooding threat to coastal areas, with 3 to 5 inches of rain predicted later today in Harris, Galveston and other coastal counties, said Bill Read, meteorologist in charge of the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office. ``Radar is showing that 6 to 8 inches have already fallen on the coast in Matagorda County,'' Read said shortly after 5 a.m. A band of heavy rain swept over downtown Houston and into north Harris County about 5 a.m. and another band was dumping rain between Pearland, in Brazoria County, and Katy, west of Houston along Interstate 10, Read said. More bands of rain associated with Erin will ``pop up just about everywhere'' as temperatures rise through the day, Read said. ``There will be off-and-on showers and thunderstorms all day,'' he said. The weather system will move generally to the northwest as it sweeps across southeast Texas, Read said. Storm cells showing up before dawn were moving at 20 to 25 mph and headed north-northwest, he said. While the Houston area should see a reduction in rainfall tonight, Read said, the remains of Erin's center could continue to dump rain on the San Antonio area. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings early today for six counties along the Texas coast near the anticipated landfall of the storm. At 4 a.m., the storm was centered about 55 miles southeast of Corpus Christi and about 180 miles southwest of Galveston, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Its top wind speed remained at 40 mph. Erin was moving toward the west-northwest at about 12 mph and was expected to continue following that track for at least 24 hours. Isolated tornadoes were possible today along the middle Texas Gulf Coast, the center said. Texas hasn't had a direct strike by a named storm since Tropical Storm Grace, another minimal system, made landfall on Galveston Island in August 2003. The centers of Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ivan, which made its second U.S. landfall in 2004 as a tropical storm, narrowly missed the state by coming ashore in Louisiana near the Texas border. For Houston, Erin should provide more relief than pain after more than a week of heat advisories and dry conditions, forecasters said. Highs today and Friday may reach only 90 degrees, and widespread showers through at least Friday should be welcomed by parched lawns. Forecasters said they did not expect widespread flooding. Flooding concerns increased farther down the coast, where more rain could fall closer to Erin's center. Some of those areas remain soggy from weeks of heavy rain. Regions accustomed to 28 inches all year, such as Bee County just northwest of Corpus Christi, received more than 35 inches of rain in June and July alone. "We had a few road closures for a couple of days," said David Morgan, Bee County's emergency management coordinator. "Everything's green." As for Erin, Morgan said the area is prepared to receive the predicted 8 to 10 inches of rain forecast once the storm makes landfall. "We'll have some low-level flooding in areas," Morgan predicted. "We've had three weeks of pretty hot, dry weather. That's going to help us." In Corpus Christi, still recovering from earlier flooding, city workers spent Wednesday cleaning street drains and encouraging residents to clean debris from their yards in case of high winds. City spokeswoman Kim Womack also noted the increased interest in surfing with the high winds. "We can't control the surfers," she said. "We can fine them, but to do that, we have to catch them. When there is a safety issue, we can't have police out there." In San Patricio County, just north of Corpus Christi, officials also prepared for Erin's expected rain. The area typically gets 2 to 3 inches of rain from January to August, but this year received 30 inches. Earlier this year, access to neighborhoods in the western part of the county was cut off by flooding. "It's one way in and out in those subdivisions," said William Zagorski, San Patricio's emergency management director. "We're primarily in a wait-and-see mode." Thomas Sanchez, emergency management coordinator for the city of Kingsville and Kleberg County, said officials there began preparing for the storm Monday, getting emergency vehicles fueled, collecting barricades and checking equipment. "This is routine for us in the Coastal Bend," Sanchez said. "Where we run into problems is getting people to prepare themselves before the last minute. Some heed our advice, but many don't." "If I wasn't in the business of emergency management, I would have boarded my house up and driven to Laredo and I'd be sipping on a margarita," he said. Officials in some coastal counties that are expected to feel Erin's full impact said it would take more than the predicted rainfall to do any damage. In Goliad County, north of Beeville and southeast of Karnes City, County Judge Harold F. Gleinser said the area's drainage system can handle up to 10 inches of rain easily. "We're very fortunate," Gleinser said. "Goliad drains good for the most part." Katherine Cesinger, spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, said the governor Wednesday activated 30 additional National Guard troops in Corpus Christi. As Texas prepared for Erin, Hurricane Dean loomed as a greater threat far out in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center this morning upgraded the tropical storm to a hurricane as it moved westward toward the Lesser Antilles, where a hurricane watch was posted Wednesday night. The National Hurricane Center forecast that Dean could reach the northwest Caribbean Sea by Monday. At 4 a.m., Dean was centered about 485 miles east of Barbados and about 590 miles east of Martinique, according to the Hurricane Center. It was moving west at about 24 mph and was expected to continue the same path for the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds were near 75 mph, above the threshold for a hurricane. Forecasters' best guess is that the system, which faces little wind shear or dust to inhibit its development, could become a strong Category 3 hurricane by Monday. At that point, it could be poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico or cross the Yucatan Peninsula. Such long-term forecasts are, of course, fraught with errors. But forecasters have become increasingly confident that Dean will not curve northward any time soon and head harmlessly out to sea, earning the affectionate description of a "fish storm." ************************************************ From businesswire.com August 18, 2007 Statement by the Press Secretary CRAWFORD, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Texas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Dean beginning on August 17, 2007, and continuing. The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Aransas, Bee, Bexar, Brazoria, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Dallas, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Harris, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Live Oak, Kleberg, Matagorda, McLennan, Nacogdoches, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Smith, Tarrant, Travis, Victoria, Walker, Wharton, and Willacy. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kenneth Clark as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. ************************************************ From gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com August 18, 2007 Hurricane causes visitation cancellations at South Texas prisons I was asked by someone at Texas CURE to post this notice from the TDCJ ombudsman to offender families regarding changes to visitation schedules tomorrow (Sunday) due to Hurricane Dean: OFFENDER FAMILY ADVSORY HURRICANE DEAN The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is participating in conference calls with the Governor's Division of Emergency Management (DEM) concerning Hurricane Dean. Visitation for Sunday, August 19th, will be CANCELED at several South Texas units as the State readies for the possible impact of Hurricane Dean. Visitation will be canceled Sunday at the following Texas Department of Criminal Justice Units: Briscoe Unit in Dilley Connally Unit in Kenedy McConnell Unit in Beeville Segovia Unit in Edinburg Stevenson Unit in Cuero Torres Unit in Hondo Garza East & Garza West Units in Beeville Cotulla Unit in Cotulla Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio Lopez State Jail in Edinburg Ney State Jail in Hondo Willacy County State Jail in Raymondville Family members wishing to seek information on offenders incarcerated in these or other potentially affected TDCJ units may call a 24-hour TDCJ hotline, which will be launched at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, August 18th. The 24-Hour Family Hotline Number Is: 936-437-6127 Updated information will appear on the TDCJ website as additional information becomes available. ************************************************ From ksat.com August 20, 2007 Pair Of Crashes Kill 3 SAN ANTONIO -- Two separate crashes in different counties left three people dead on Monday night. In Karnes County, two people died when two vehicles collided with an 18-wheeler on Highway 80 just north of Gillett. The big rig ended up on top of the car and crushed it, police said. The names of the two people killed have not been released. In Bexar County, a man was killed on the Northside of San Antonio after his vehicle clipped a car. Police said the man, who was driving on Loop 1604 near La Cantera, tried to switch lanes and clipped a car. He lost control of the vehicle and crashed into at least two other cars. The man described to be in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity also has not been released. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com Aug 21, 2007 Father and son die in Karnes crash A 27-year-old Killeen man and his 6-year-old son were killed Monday when their car collided with an 18-wheeler on Texas 80 in Karnes County. Manuel Sanchez and son Antonio Sanchez died at the scene, said a Department of Public Safety dispatcher. A 3-year-old girl in the car was injured and flown to University Hospital. The driver of the 18-wheeler was not injured. Sanchez's 2006 Honda was traveling east on the highway, about 5 miles northeast of Gillett, when it drifted into the westbound lane as the 18-wheeler was turning. Sanchez overcorrected, causing a head- on collision in the eastbound lane, the dispatcher said. ************************************************ From statesman.com August 22, 2007 Off-duty Austin firefighter pulls girl out of wreck Two front-seat passengers, including a 6-year-old boy, died at the scene By Miguel Liscano AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Austin Fire Department Lt. John Green was on his way home from work Monday when he saw the sedan pinned under an 18-wheeler on Texas 80 southeast of San Antonio and pulled over. He checked each of the two people in the front, 27-year-old Manuel Medina Sanchez and 6-year-old Antonio Sanchez, for a pulse. Neither of them had one. But in the back seat, 3-year-old Nyalli Sanchez's heart kept beating. She wasn't responsive or breathing, though. So he put one hand on her jaw, another on the top of her head and tilted it up to try to open an airway. "She took a big breath, and I was like 'whoo, that's good.' " A few minutes before Green got there, at about 3:45 p.m., Sanchez, of Killeen, was driving a Honda east on the highway in Karnes County, roughly 5 miles northeast of Gillett, when he drifted into the westbound lane, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said. A westbound 18-wheeler driven by Kenneth Stacy Hester, of Temple, tried to move out of the Honda's way, but Sanchez over corrected and the two vehicles collided, Mange said. Green, 43, who lives in Nordheim about 110 miles south of Austin, said he arrived at the scene just as a woman named Linda, a nurse, and her husband had also stopped to help. Another man and a DPS trooper also pulled over. The car was at a roughly 70 degree angle with its hood pinned under the truck, Green said, and the truck's tire was "almost literally on the dashboard." Nyalli Sanchez was wedged between the driver's seat, the driver's- side door and her child seat, Green said. After she started breathing, Green and another man removed some fiberglass around her and used a jack to move some of the roof and side of the car that was crushing her, he said. Linda held her as Green went around, leaned over the trunk and grabbed her. "I had her cradled in my arms, and we kind of just pulled her straight out," he said. Two people pulled on his legs so he wouldn't have to use his arms to push himself out, Green said. The elder Sanchez and Antonio Sanchez died at the scene, Mange said. Nyalli Sanchez was taken to University Hospital in San Antonio, where she was listed in critical condition Tuesday, a hospital official said. The children's relationship with the elder Sanchez was not clear Tuesday, and family members could not be located for comment. Mange said everyone in the Honda was wearing a seat belt or was properly secured. Hester was not seriously injured, she said. Green, a 21-year firefighter, said he's glad the people who pulled over were at least able to make, "something positive come out of this tragedy." She was a very strong girl. She was fighting on her own." ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/20/2007 H.S. Volleyball Report Player of the Week Sarah Cardenas, O'Connor, setter, so.: Her relentless and determined play - she knocked over a chair and nearly crashed into a wall chasing down a ball - was the impetus to the Panthers' victories last week against then No. 1 Churchill, No. 3 Smithson Valley and perennial powers New Braunfels and Round Rock, leading the team to a 5-0 start and the Northside ISD tournament championship. Fast Forward/Rewind Game balls Amber Roberson had 27 kills and was named MVP after Wagner won its own tournament, defeating Steele 26-24, 25-11, 24-26, 27-25 in the final. ... Andrea Hannasch had 20 kills and three aces, pacing New Braunfels past MacArthur in the consolation final at the NISD tournament. ... Bianca Mares had 11 kills and seven aces as Edison topped Clemens to win the Harlandale tournament for the second time in three years. The Golden Bears also won in 2005. Observations With its season-opening victory against Fox Tech on Aug. 14, Jay won for the first time since August 2005 - ending what is believed to be a 53-match losing streak. The Mustangs were 0-26 in 2006 and 1-32 in 2005. ... At 5-0, Wagner already has matched its victory total from a year ago. The Thunderbirds were 5-25 in 2006. This week's best bets Churchill vs. Reagan, 7 tonight, at Littleton Gym: Is there any better way to open District 26-5A play than with this clash of titans? Fraulein Volleyfest, all day, Friday-Saturday, New Braunfels and N.B. Canyon: Some of the state's top programs converge for the 31st edition of this tournament. Note: Only schools in Greater San Antonio and 20 others outside that geographical area - Blanco, Center Point, Cotulla, Dilley, Falls City, Fredericksburg, Gonzales, Ingram Moore, Karnes City, Kenedy, Kerrville Tivy, Knippa, Luling, McMullen County, Nixon-Smiley, Pearsall, Sabinal, San Marcos, Uvalde and Utopia - are eligible for rankings and players of the week. Weekly stats package: To report stats and records for the Tuesday High School Plus package, which begins next week, please contact Ruben Martinez between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sundays at (210) 250-3372; e- mail to sports@express-news.net; or fax to (210) 250-3351. Express- News Area Rankings Rank, team Dist. Rec. Pvs. Next opponent 1. O'Connor 28-5A 5-0 7 vs. Del Rio, today 2. Churchill 26-5A 4-1 1 vs. Reagan, today 3. Reagan 26-5A 4-2 2 vs. Churchill, today 4. N.B. Canyon 27-4A 6-3 4 vs. Warren, Wednesday 5. Antonian TAPPS 6-1 5 at Round Rock McNeil, today 6. Smithson Valley 26-5A 4-4 3 vs. MacArthur, today 7. Poth 29-2A 5-4 6 vs. Antonian, Thursday 8. Clark 28-5A 2-3 8 at Judson, today 9. New Braunfels 27-4A 7-2 NR vs. Midland, Thursday 10. MacArthur 26-5A 3-2 9 at Smithson Valley, today Tuesday's matches District 26-5A Churchill at Judson, 7 p.m.; Reagan vs. MacArthur, 5:30 p.m.; Lee vs. Madison, 7:15 p.m., both at Littleton Gym; Roosevelt at Smithson Valley, 7:15 p.m. District 28-5A Holmes vs. Clark, 5:30 p.m. at O'Connor; Marshall at Del Rio, 6 p.m.; Stevens vs. Jay, 5:30 p.m., O'Connor vs. Taft, 7 p.m., both at Taylor Field House. Non-district Alamo Heights and Medina Valley at Clemens, 5 p.m.; Warren and Austin Westlake at New Braunfels Canyon, 5 p.m.; Marion at Hondo, 7:30 p.m.; Devine and Somerset at Uvalde, 5 p.m.; Medina at TMI, 5:30 p.m.; Cotulla at D'Hanis, 6 p.m.; Brackenridge at Providence, 7:30 p.m.; Highlands at La Vernia at Southside, 5 p.m.; McCollum vs. Jefferson, 5 p.m.; Steele vs. Edison, 6:15 p.m.; Seguin vs. Sam Houston, 7:30 p.m., all at Alamo Convocation Center; Antonian at Lanier, 7:30 p.m.; Burbank at Floresville, 7 p.m.; Wagner and Incarnate Word at Harlandale, 5 p.m.; Wimberley at Kerrville Tivy, 7:30 p.m. Statistics needed Coaches may call their statistics and records in on Sundays from 2-8 p.m. to Jennifer Pfluke at (210) 250-3371, fax them to (210) 250- 3351, or email them to jpfluke@express-news.net. Please include leaders in the following categories: kills, assists, blocks, digs, and aces. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/23/2007 Mother is torn between grief, joy Bryan Chu Express-News On Friday, she gave birth to her second son. On Monday, she lost her firstborn son and her husband. Alicia Sanchez hasn't had a chance to be happy about the birth of Dominic Rey Sanchez or truly grieve the loss of her husband, Manuel, or her firstborn son, Antonio, said Antonio's godmother, Brenda Vega. "She's in between," Vega said. "I'm pretty sure she's happy with the birth. ... But she has the loss of her other son and husband. It's very hard." Born into a military family, Dominic Rey was cradled by his father and older siblings last Friday near the Army base in Killeen. His father, who missed the birth of Dominic's siblings, arrived at the hospital a half-hour before his first breath. But Dominic never will get to know his father or older brother, except through photographs and stories his relatives might tell him. Dominic's father, Manuel Sanchez, 27, was killed in a collision Monday afternoon in Karnes County, about 60 miles southeast of San Antonio. Antonio, 7, seated beside him, also died. The family's only daughter, 3-year-old Nayeli, remains in critical condition at University Hospital. Dominic Rey, Alicia Sanchez said, resembles his father. "I'm still in shock. It hasn't really sunk in," she said. Sanchez and Antonio were killed when the family's Honda Civic and an 18-wheeler collided on Texas 80. Nayeli was rescued by a group of passers-by, all strangers, who pulled her from the wreckage. "He was the perfect brother and he loved his family very much," said Manuel Sanchez's brother, Andrew Sanchez. A native of San Antonio, Sanchez was an active-duty petty officer first class in the security department at Ingleside Naval Station. His wife is an active duty Army specialist at Fort Hood.. Sanchez was known for his big smile and knack for cheering people up, said Jeffrey Bayless, shipmate and friend. "Even when it was 100-degree weather and you were out there eight hours straight, he'd be standing at the post with you with a big smile," he said. "He'd bring you Gatorade and crack jokes. He made life real easy." Sanchez didn't have a place to live at the naval station; he slept on fellow shipmates' couches or anything he could make into a bed, Bayless said. When Sanchez had a day off, he wanted to be home in Killeen, and would drive nearly 300 miles to spend time with his family. So on the night before his wife gave birth at Fort Hood's Darnall Army Medical Center, Sanchez, who was on watch command with Bayless, only could think about his wife going into labor, Bayless said. Sanchez was at sea the first two times his kids were born; he couldn't miss this one. After his third child was born, Sanchez took Antonio and Nayeli to Ingleside to file for vacation time while his wife stayed home with the newborn Monday morning. When he was returning home, Manuel drifted into oncoming traffic and the collision occurred. To help the Sanchez family, the Ingleside Naval Station is creating an education fund. For more information, contact Vega at dvjblv@yahoo.com. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com 08/22/2007 Passers-by pull girl, 3, from crash nightmare Bryan Chu Express-News John Green has fought fires for more than two decades, he said Tuesday, and yet the scene he came across Monday afternoon in Karnes County was among the most heartbreaking he has seen. Green, a firefighter in Austin, was driving on Texas 80 when he came to a screeching halt: Before him was the aftermath of a head-on collision between an 18-wheeler and a Honda Civic, heaps of metal mangled and misshapen, glass and auto parts strewn everywhere. "In my 21 years, this was one of the most horrific accidents I've seen," he said. Inside the Civic, its hood crushed by the cab of the 18-wheeler, were Manuel Sanchez, 27, and his children, 6-year-old Antonio and 3- year-old Nyalli. Sanchez and Antonio were dead; the toddler girl wasn't breathing but had a slight pulse. Green, joined by a nurse named Linda Haden, immediately reacted. The pair - who didn't know each other before driving upon the wreckage at the same moment - rushed to the vehicles. Haden checked on the driver of the 18-wheeler, who was alert and standing among the destruction. Green peeked inside the 2006 Civic: Nyalli was sitting in a booster seat behind the driver's seat. When Green found her, he said, her tiny head was face-down, wedged between the driver's seat and door. "I checked her pulse," Green said. "She had one, but she wasn't breathing so I opened up her airway and brushed the surface of her face with (my) hand. I tilted her head parallel to her body and she took a gasp of air." While Green and Haden were tending to the survivors, a pair of law enforcement officers arrived. Jose Ortiz III, a police officer in the region who was driving on the highway, and Department of Public Safety Trooper Steven Bailey, descended moments later on the scene, about 60 miles southeast of San Antonio about 5 miles northeast of Gillett. Pulling Nyalli from the wreckage was a team effort, Green said Tuesday, with each aiding in the rescue. Once she was freed, Nyalli was flown to University Hospital. The girl, whose family couldn't be reached Tuesday, was listed in critical condition Monday but was stabilized Tuesday, thanks in large part to the efforts of the group of strangers. "Simultaneously, (I put) my right foot and pushed the driver's seat and with my hand I pulled the doorpost," Bailey said. Ortiz "pushed the roof of the car that was caved in. (Green) pulled (Nyalli's) head out and leaned her back on the seat and cut the seat belt." Haden made sure Nyalli's head was stable while Green climbed into the car from the back window, which was littered with shards of glass, cutting himself as he crawled. Two of the rescuers grabbed Green's legs as he lowered his body into the back seat to pull the child out, Green said. Green and Bailey then rested the toddler in a grassy area on the shoulder of the two-lane highway. Green and Haden used a bag-valve mask that Green had in his truck to keep the girl's airway clear and help her breathe. The group also tended to a cut on the child's left wrist. EMS arrived minutes later. Police said Tuesday that the Civic, for a still-unknown reason, veered into oncoming traffic about 3:45 p.m. Sanchez and his two children were from Kileen, and it wasn't known why they were travelling on the highway south of Nixon. Asked if he thought they were heroes, Green was quick to dispel that notion: "It's all part of the job. I'm glad I was able to help control the situation and that we could take care of her. "I call it fortunate," he continued, "that (we) made it there. ... It's weird how fate makes that happen." ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com 29.AUG.07 Erastus 'Deaf' Smith's Old Gonzales Road makes history Allen and Regina Kosub 29.AUG.07 Part I of III In 1832, Erastus "Deaf" Smith, with the authority of the Mexican administration in San Antonio, laid out a road from San Antonio to Gonzales. With that act, he unknowingly gave Texas a historic treasure and simultaneously created what would become the northern boundary of Wilson County. The road followed a direct course that incorporated trails used by game, Indians, cattle, and Mexican rancheros. It crossed the Cibolo below the Martinez and connected to Alameda Street, the main street in San Antonio (today Commerce Street). In 1835, Mexican troops traveled the road to reclaim a cannon from the Texians in Gonzales. The Texian's challenge, "Come and Take It!" led to the first shots of the Texas Revolution. This exchange on the San Antonio to Gonzales road (known as the Old Gonzales Road) has been memorialized with a historic marker near the present-day village of Cost in Gonzales County. The "Immortal 32" claimed their place among Texas legends in 1836 when they galloped their horses along this road to reinforce the Alamo. Susanna Dickinson, with her child, survivors of the Alamo, met Sam Houston's men on this road near present-day La Vernia with news of the massacre. This news led to Sam Houston's order to burn Gonzales and retreat east in the "Runaway Scrape." From its earliest days, the Old Gonzales Road brought armies to battle and settlers to the Cibolo Valley. During the mid-19th century, communities developed along the road. From San Antonio traveling east, one would encounter the communities in this order: Mount Olive (north of present-day Sayers), Cottage Hill, St. Hedwig, Bauer's 20-Mile House, Concrete/Bethesda, Lavernia, Sandy Elm, Stroman (now Bebe), Capote (now Leesville), and Oso (now Cost). In 1860, the Texas Legislature created a peculiar V-shaped Wilson County from a subdivision of Bexar and Karnes counties. The top of the V was closed by the legislature in 1869, giving Wilson County its present shape. The triangular tract of land formed by the V was taken from a reluctant Guadalupe County. The origin of the controversy may be traced to Jan. 29, 1842, when an act "To lay out and organize the County of Guadalupe" was passed by the Texas Legislature. In Section No. 1 of that act, the Old Gonzales Road was identified as its southern boundary. However, on March 30, 1846, an act "To create a new … County of Guadalupe" was passed, changing the southern boundary to a line drawn from the southwest corner of Gonzales County to a point much farther down the Cibolo. This new boundary incorporated a triangular section of land along the east bank of the Cibolo down to Rocky Ford Crossing (below present-day Stockdale). Guadalupe County believed that its southern boundary, as described in 1846, had been breeched and its land taken by Wilson County in 1869. For researchers, the disputed land east of the Cibolo creates problems locating its communities and residents in historic records. For example, in 1871 the community of Free Timber, located in Guadalupe County, applied to the U.S. Postmaster General for the establishment of a post office to be called Stockdale. A map attached to the application clearly indicates that it is today's Wilson County community of Stockdale. The northern boundary of Wilson County, disputed by Guadalupe County, remained in contention until it was settled by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1874. When the dust settled, the northern boundary line for Wilson County was returned to the course of Erastus "Deaf" Smith's Old Gonzales Road. To be continued ************************************************ August 30, 2007 Texas State's Gilley ready for a bigger role BY COY SLAVIK - ADVOCATE SPORTS EDITOR John Gilley has found a home - again. Four years ago, Gilley, a former standout for the St. Joseph Flyers, found a place to play when he transferred from Navy to Texas State. Now, Gilley found a position. After seeing limited duty at defensive end for the Bobcats his freshman and sophomore seasons, Gilley was moved to tight end in 2006. Used mostly as a blocking tight end last year, Gilley helped the Bobcats rank second in the Southland Conference in total offense at 351.6 yards per game. Gilley will start for the Bobcats at tight end Saturday when they host Cal Poly in the season opener for both teams. "It was tough learning a brand new position so late in my career, because playing offense is a totally different mindset," said Gilley, who had one catch last season for 3 yards. "I kind of wanted to stay at defensive end, but then again I didn't because I knew it was going to be an opportunity for me to get onto the field. Now with a year under my belt, it comes with ease." The Bobcats have a new head coach this season, Brad Wright, who coached high school football at El Campo, East Bernard and Karnes City before entering the collegiate ranks. Gilley said Wright has brought a new attitude to the program. "A lot of the new coaches are young guys," Gilley said. "There's a lot of enthusiasm. There's a lot more desire around here." Gilley also likes the prospect of more passes coming his way this season. "In this offense, I think we're going to try to get more tight ends involved," Gilley said. "We're going to get more passes to the tight ends, which I'm looking forward to." The 6-foot-3, 263-pound Gilley had 13 tackles as a reserve defensive end on Texas State's 2005 team that went on to win the SLC and advance to the Division I-AA semifinals. He feels this team has the same potential. "I have the same feeling about this team," Gilley said. "In 2005, we went into the season without too many high expectations. We just did our jobs and got more confidence as the season went along. "It seems like a lot of seniors have stepped up and really tried to show some good leadership," Gilley added. "Our confidence is real high. If we go in and play hard and get a victory Saturday, I think it will be a good jump start into the season." ************************************************